North American Graduate Programs in Septuagint

Finding a LXX Intro course can be this difficult…

Occasionally someone will ask me what the best way is to get an introduction to Septuagint studies. Most of the time my response is something like “Here are five books to read.” The reason is that there are very few institutions where LXX features in the curriculum in any meaningful way. As a result, there are very few places to go to take an actual course in LXX studies, much less an introductory course. Another reason is the small number of scholars specifically trained in LXX to offer courses in the first place!

In this post, then, I will review the few exceptions to this rule in North America. Think of it as a Resource Review of graduate programs. Hopefully this will help those interested save some time scouring the internet at random (which is what I did).

Septuagint Studies in the States

There are two programs to mention, which feature prominently because of the people at the helm of each. If you are reading this and know of others I have overlooked, please let me know or post to the comments.

1) Peter Gentry – Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Firstly, there is a community of Septuagint scholarship at SBTS under the leadership of Dr. Peter Gentry. Gentry was the last student to study under John W. Wevers at the former bastion of LXX studies in North America, the University of Toronto. When both Pietersma and Wevers were at that institution, they produced a number of now senior scholars in LXX studies, and Gentry is among them. (Some others will feature below.)

Gentry’s interests are wide-ranging and extend well beyond the Septuagint. He is involved in the Göttingen Septuagint Series (Ecclesiasties, Proverbs), and takes particular interest in Hexapla studies. If you thought the Septuagint was obscure, the Hexapla is even more so. It is a terribly interesting, and terribly complex, aspect of LXX history, and for that reason the discipline benefits greatly from competent scholars like Gentry.

He andothersare currently involved in theHexapla Projectof theIOSCS, and for that reason many of his doctoralstudentsalso work in all things hexaplaric. Gentry also teaches graduate level courses in LXX, such as hisSeptuagint Seminar. So although SBTS does not offer a full graduate degree in LXX studies per se, it is certainly an option for focusing in aThMor PhD.

Her primary professional interests focus upon New Testament, particularly the General Epistles. In conversation with her, she once told me that Septuagint was her “night job.” Considering she’s so productive in her NT day job, it’s remarkable how active she also is in LXX studies. Her and Silva’s Invitation to the Septuagint is always one of those five books I recommend for introduction to the discipline. Rumor has it there is a revision of this volume underway.

Like SBTS, there is no full-fledged LXX degree at Wheaton. However, Jobes offers a course on Greek Exegesis in the Septuagint. So Wheaton is another option for tailoring your focus on LXX studies in either an MA or a PhD program.

[Update:Dr. Jobes has now retired from teaching as of 2016]

3) Other Scholars of Note

There are other North American scholars who are doing excellent work in Septuagint as well. Some of them include J. Ross Wagner at Duke Divinity School, Benjamin G. Wright at Lehigh University, and W. Edward Glenny at University of Northwestern. I did not feature these scholars as prominently since they do not offer actual courses in Septuagint, as far as I know. Wagner, however, takes doctoral students focusing in LXX studies.

Canada, Eh?

1) [Update: PhD Program in Septuagint at McMaster Divinity College]

As of early 2017, McMaster Divinity college is launching a full-fledged PhD program in Septuagint. You can read about that here.

2) The J. W. W. Institute for Septuagint Studies

There is one other excellent place to mention, namely The John William Wevers Institute for Septuagint Studies. The Institute is located under the auspices of Trinity Western University in Vancouver, B.C. In the post-Wevers-Pietersma era at the University of Toronto, this is the single most LXX-concentrated faculty that I can think of, with four highly qualified scholars. Better still, both Wevers and Pietersma have donated their extensive personal libraries (and a large endowment) to further LXX studies at TWU.

Furthermore, the Institute for Septuagint Studies typically offers a week-long Septuagint seminar in May or June each year. I participated in the first such seminar in May 2013 (read about it here) and again in 2016. This is a wonderful opportunity to study LXX in taught format under some excellent scholars. I hope for others’ sake they continue with this seminar in the future. Speaking of which, there have been efforts, unsuccessful so far, to offer a PhD through TWU as well, which could be a great opportunity if it ever comes to fruition.

Part of what I especially like about the Institute is that it is literally surrounded by seminaries. TWU is part of the ACTS coalition of seminaries in Canada, and hosts a number of them in one building where the Institute is also located. Where the Septuagint is, the Church (rightly) is also.

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13 comments

Many thanks for your kind words about my work in Septuagint. It has been a very rich part of my academic life. Two further comments that might be of interest to readers: 1) The revision of Invitation to the Septuagint is about complete, and should be available from Baker Academic not later than Fall 2015. 2) I do teach a course in LXX in the Wheaton graduate program for Biblical Exegesis, but there is no graduate program here that centers on Septuagint studies.

Regarding graduate study of the Old Greek Jewish scriptural anthologies (including “LXX”), don’t neglect those programs that focus on Early Judaism and Early Christianity together, have significant relevant resources along with a tradition of such studies, and permit flexibility in the choices of concentration — for example, Notre Dame (even with Eugene Ulrich now “emeritus”) and my own academic succession at the University of Pennsylvania (Annette Y. Reed, Jay C. Treat). Probably Princeton University and Seminary (combined resources) should also be mentioned along with other of the “usual suspects” with impressive histories of such scholarship (e.g. Harvard, Yale, Chicago). Of course, for an even fuller picture of the opportunities, Great Britain, the European Continent, Israel, and even South Africa (Stellenbosch) deserve mention.